Description
Elaborate early c.19th engraved portrait of William Pitt the Prime Minister at the time. The head turned in three-quarter profile to look to front; in oval sitting on a rock in the sea, with trident, sword and laurel wreath below, an owl and flag above, ship named ‘Nelson’ at right and tower emanating smoke at left.
Prime Minister William Pitt, the Younger, justified convict transportation to Botany Bay on two grounds. First, it reduced potential corruption of other prison inmates. Secondly, transportation sent some of the most incorrigible criminals out of the Kingdom. He also argued that a distant penal and trading colony would enable naval operations in the region.
